Shades Of Illusion
by Zrale
Summary: Ranma Wake up!!.. Please!!.. You need to cheer up!! Somehow the world must be made right again.. it's up to you Akane!
1. Part 1

Shades of Illusion  
  
By: Miki Akoserura / Yukiko Shiranui :P  
  
Part 1 of.. ????  
  
Disc: I don't own Ranma 1/2 or it's characters. This is for my enjoyment as well as that of the reader.   
Please dont sue me, thanks!!  
  
C&C VERY WELCOME  
  
  
  
  
"Ranma! Ranma wake up already Ranma!!"   
  
Ranma rolled over in his sleep and mumbled, the LAST thing he wanted to wake up in the morning to was Akane screaming in his ears. He pulled is pillow over his head and tried to fall back asleep.  
  
"RANMA!!!!" Akane ripped the pillow out of his grasp and threw it across the room. "GET UP!"  
She kicked at him, not caring if she hurt him at all just wanting to wake the lazy boy up.  
  
Ranma turned over and groaned, rubbing his sleep crusted eyes "Alright.. I'm up I'm up!!" he said pulling the blanket over his face and mumbling, "ya uncute tomboy" as he did so. All Ranma wanted to do right now was sleep, he had no desire what so ever to see Akane or the rest of the world at the moment, not after what had happened a few days before.  
  
"THAT'S IT!! YOU'VE LEFT ME NO CHOICE RANMA!!" Akane walked out of the room, and a moment later entered with a bucket of cold water. Standing over Ranma she looked down at him, "You have ONE last chance to get out of bed and I do mean NOW!!"  
  
Ranma ignored her, he didn't care to answer. Didn't care what she said or did, he was not moving from his bed under any circumstances. It had been days, 4 days exactly since Ranma had came out of his room last, showerd last, ate last. His stomach was complaining loudly but he didn't care, he stank but didn't care. The taste of the stomach acid he had thrown up a few times out his windows was the only thing he had tasted, the only think he'd let go through his mouth.   
  
They'd begged for him to come out, pleaded for him to just try and forget about what had happened and live on with his life. Nothing was over not yet, not unless Ranma gave up hope like he seemed to be doing at that very moment.  
  
He had locked the door to his bedroom, not letting anyone in without a fight, untill finally they busted the doors down. They couldn't stand knowing Ranma was like this, they couldn't stand knowing that he was letting himself sink down into such a sorrowful pit of dispair.  
  
Kasumi brought his meals in as she made them for the rest of the Tendo / Saotome family but to no luck. None of the tantilizing smells of Kasumi's cooking made Ranma wish to eat, nor did they make him budge from his bed.   
  
Akane was starting to grow tired of it, starting to think that this whole mess could have been avoided if she just would have told Ranma how she felt about him in the first place. Before Ranma had finally given up on her and turned to Shampoo for comfort. Before of course, Shampoo went off and finally told Ranma she had given up on him, and turned to mousse.  
  
Ranme didn't think he had anyone anymore. It was all hopeless life was hopeless, love was hopeless. There is no reason to go on in his mind.  
  
With a sigh, Ranma lay there silent, only thinking ' .. Shampoos with.. Mousse... Ukyos with.. Ryouga.. and Akane.... Akane will never love me'. He fell deeper down into the pits of his loneliness at that point, and decided that nothing Akane could do would make him come out. He wasn't going to listen any longer, there was no point.  
  
  
With that, Akane got fed up, Ranma just wasn't doing anything under the covers as far as she could tell, besides his light breathing there was no sound in the room. She raised the bucket of water over her head and let it dump all over him.  
"SEE!!.. See....see what you made me do Ranma?"  
She sighed, throwing the bucket to one side and shaking her head.  
  
"Ranma please.." she began, looking at the floor, but before she could continue Ranma sat up, and looked at her. His once bright blue eyes dull with the saddness that consumed him.  
  
"Ranma??.. " Akane looked up after seeing the blankets rustle a little only to see those eyes. His eyes, the pain within them took a vast toll on her heart and it was all she could do to keep her gaze on them.  
  
"Akane..." the first word that he had spoken in the 4 days he had locked himself here, in his sorrow, his dispair. His voice was quiet, to the point that if Akane had been just a little farther away from him, she wouldn't have heard him. The sound of his voice was most welcome to Akane, even if it was quiet, and rough from his throat being so dry.  
  
He reached out a weak hand to her, trying to grab her to bring her closer. Akane fell to her knees and took Ranma's hand in hers.   
  
The hand was cold, colder than ice, despite the fact that he had been under his covers the whole time. It burned Akane's hand it was so cold, but she refused to let go. Ranma needed her, and right now, she needed him too.  
  
  
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Sitting there, Ramna and Akane stared at eachother as if they were long lost lovers finally reunited. Cold shivers went down Akane's spine as she held on tight to Ranma's freezing hand. It seemed at though, at the moment time had completely stoped for Ranma and Akane, and that they were stuck like this forever. Starring, the only sound to be heard in the room was their gentle breath.  
  
Despite the fact that Ranma was a girl at the moment, Akane held his hand, for even with this girls body. It was still the same Ranma. The Ranma who always called her a "uncute tomboy".. The Ranma, who had rescued her from both prince Toma and Kirin. Ranma, who had sacrificed getting the water from the magical spring on Prince Toma's island just to save her.   
  
It didn't matter anymore to Akane, 'I'd take all the teasing in the world, .. just to have the old Ranma back. The carefree Ranma that used his girl half to get free food from unknowing men in resturaunts. The same Ranma who.... who... who always got so angry when P-chan was around me.... P-chan... Ryouga.... ' She blinked and looked questioningly at Ranma, waiting for him to speak.  
  
Unable to say anything, Ranma just looked at Akane. 


	2. Part 2

PART 2   
  
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Downstairs in the dining room the Tendou/Saotome family sat at the table, no one eating. Every single member of the family stared at the staircase, wondering why all of a sudden things had gotten very quiet. Akane wasn't yelling at Ranma, which was odd in itsself, but complete silent... was even weirder.  
  
A slight breeze blew the windchime outside the dining room and a koi jumped up from the pond. No one seemed to notice, and the minutes seemed to pass by like hours on this hot summers morning.  
  
"Well... don't you think we should eat? It's going to get cold" Kasumi finally broke the silence with her sweet voice. Blinking everyone turned their gaze from the staircase and looked at their food. Then, they looked over at the empty spots of Ranma and Akane.  
  
Kasumi picked up her tea cup and sipped it slowly, the tea was watery due to all of the ice melting due to the heat.  
Nabiki shruged 'No use wasting good food' She thought, as she was the first to dig into her meal. Genma and Soun ate slowly, just waiting.. waiting for something to finally break the silence coming from upstairs. It was begining to be way to much for everyone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"R..Ranma...?" Akane was determined at that point to cheer him up, do get him out of this pathetic state.  
  
He blinked, standing letting Akane's hand drop weakly to her lap. He didn't even look at her then as s/he walked slowly out of the room and to the bathroom. Upon getting there, he stopped right infront of mirror and looked at the person he saw, reflecting on his life and how he had acted.  
  
Ranma stood there, just staring at himself for a moment, and then without moving his gaze grabbed a glass that was sitting on the sink and filled it with warm water, throwing it over himself.  
  
"...g..girl....b..boy... what does it matter who I am or how I look?.." he sighed, resting his forehead against the cool bathroom mirror.  
  
A few moments later Akane enterd, standing by the door trying her best to remain calm with Ranma even though she was getting annoyed at his odd behavior.  
  
"R..Ranma?" She spoke softly, walking towards him. Trying her best to not make him act any odder than he was already. "Can we?.... talk?"  
  
Ranma closed his eyes, his forehead still pressed against the cold glass of the bathroom mirror. "What do you want to talk about...akane?"  
He didn't move, just stood there, weak from lack of food and still tired and depressed.  
  
  
  
Akane hated seeing Ranma this way, hated it with all her heart and knowing that inwardly made her wonder why she hid her feelings for this long.  
  
Closing the door to the bathroom Akane leaned against it, ".. R..Remember all those times.. all those times you'ved saved me.??. when you.. saved me from prince Toma on Tougenkyou Island?.. from.. me having to marry him??.. even though it meant destroying the spring that could have turned you into a girl...??" She stopped for a moment looking down at the ground. ".. Remember .. you said.. that you.. well.. you didn't finish.. you said..almost said.. that.. you.. l..loved me??.. "  
  
Ranma shruged a little, ignoring Akane's nervousness, opening his eyes he looked at himself in the mirror, forehead still pressed against it.   
"what about it..?..I've rescued you many times Akane.. nothing new.. it was just a slip.. you know that.."  
  
Getting slightly angry, Akane tightened her hands into fits and pounded on the door, "DAMN YOU RANMA!! WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE THIS?!"  
She pushed away from the door and walked over to him "You are not THAT stupid to just 'make a slip' like THAT! AND YOU KNOW IT!!"  
  
Lifting his head from the mirror, Ranma looked over at Akane, glad to hear her yelling again for some odd reason. "Honestly Akane??..... I didn't want you to be turned into a man.. youre a tomboy enough as it is ya know?" he forced a smile, trying his best to pick on her despite his true feelings.  
  
  
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Downstairs in the dining room Soun Tendou looked up the stairs a small tear running down his cheek "She.. she's yelling at him. it must be a good sign.. they are talking again!"   
  
Genma who was in Panda form held up a sign that read "Yay!! Akane's getting Ranma back!!" tears streaming down his face soun and genma held each other crying starring up in the direction of the staires ignoring their food.  
  
Nabiki made a face at Soun and Genma looking over at Kasumi quickly "gee daddy, its almost as if you didn't like NOT having ranma freeload and break holes in the Dojo for awhile"  
  
Kasumi blinked and took a sip of her tea "Now Nabiki, that wasn't very nice.. " Nabiki shrugged and went back to eating, ignoring her father and genma while doing so.  



End file.
